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FLUFFY CAT’S TAIL 

Copyright 1931 by Albert Whitman & Company 
Chicago, U. S. A. 



Printed in U. S. A. 

©CIA 46646 

SEP 17 1931 










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Good Fai rj 

io aLL CAt5 







FLUFFY CAT’S TAIL 

Once upon a time there was a cat, 
a very fine, fluffy yellow cat 
who lost her Meow, her most useful Meow. 
That seemed a very silly thing to do, 
but it’s true, quite true indeed. 

It happened this way. 

One night Fluffy Cat went to bed. 

When she woke up in the morning, 
she could not find her Meow anywhere. 

She looked up on the high shelf, 
in the cellar and up in the attic, 
but she could not find it. 

So Fluffy Cat said to herself, 

"I will go out in the big, big world 


9 


and hunt and hunt until I find my Meow.” 

Then Fluffy Cat packed her fine basket 
with five fat soup bones and started out 
to find her Meow, her most useful Meow. 

Before she left her cozy home 
she locked the door with her tiny key 
and hid it under the green door mat. 

Well, Fluffy Cat walked and walked, 
and looked and looked everywhere. 

But she could not find her Meow, 
her fine and most useful Meow. 

So she sat down under a shady tree 
and ate the largest fat soup bone. 

Then she ate the smallest fat soup bone, 
and had three fat soup bones left. 


10 



Well, Fluffy Cat walked and walked 




Then Fluffy Cat washed her face 
one time, two times, three times, 
and curled up under a shady tree 
and went to sleep with a purry purr. 

When she woke up she looked about 
for her fine, fine basket 
with the three fat soup bones in it. 

She looked and looked, but could not 
find it anywhere, no, not anywhere. 

She wanted to say, "Meow, Meow,” 
but could not because she had lost it. 
All she could say was, 

"Oh, dearie me! Oh, dearie me! 

I have lost my fine, fine basket 
with the three fat soup bones in it.” 


12 



Then Fluffy Cat washed her face 


Then she sat down under the tree 
and yowled and yowled and yowled. 
Soon she dried her wet eyes and said, 
”Fm going home and stay there.” 

All the way home she looked 
and looked and looked everywhere, 
but she could not find her Meow. 

Fluffy Cat wanted to say, "Meow,” 
but could not because she had lost it. 
All she could say again and again was, 
"Oh, dearie me! Oh, dearie me! 

I cannot find my Meow, 
my fine and most useful Meow; 
and now I have lost my basket 
with the three fat soup bones in it.” 


14 



All the way home she looked and looked 



When she reached her cozy home 
she looked under the green door mat 
but her tiny door key was not there. 

Fluffy Cat wanted to say, "Meow,” 
but could not because she had lost it. 
All she could say was, 

"Oh, dearie me! Oh, dearie me! 

I lost my Meow, my most useful Meow, 
I lost my fine, fine basket. 

I lost my three fat soup bones, 

and now I have lost my tiny, tiny key.” 

Then she sat down on the green mat 
and yowled and yowled and yowled. 

She looked under the mat again, 
but the tiny, tiny key was not there. 


16 





So she yowled and yowled again. 

Then she picked up the door mat 

and shook it and shook it, 

but the tiny, tiny key was not there. 

Then Fluffy Cat yowled six large tears 
and seven tiny bubbly ones. 

Soon she dried her wet eyes and said, 
"Whoever took my Meow, my most useful 
Meow, took my fine, fine basket. 

Whoever took my fine, fine basket 
took my three fat soup bones. 

Whoever took my three fat soup bones, 
took my tiny, tiny door key. 

Whoever took my tiny, tiny door key, 
MIGHT TAKE ME, yes, fluffy me!” 


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She picked up the door mat and shook it and shook it 



As soon as yellow Fluffy Cat said 
"might take me, yes, fluffy me,” 
she began to be afraid, so afraid 
and her fluffy tail became quite big. 

Just then Fluffy Cat heard a noise, 
a big, big noise, a very big noise. 

She began to shake, shake, shake, 
and her fluffy tail became larger. 

Then Big, Big Noise came nearer. 
Fluffy Cat closed her scared eyes 
and her tail became larger and larger. 

Suddenly the Big, Big Noise stopped; 
so Fluffy Cat opened one bright eye 
and peeped a wee, wee peep. 

There stood the Big, Big Noise! 


20 




The Big, Big Noise said to Fluffy Cat, 

"Fm Monk-Monk, the Witch Monkey. 

Where is your Meow, your most useful Meow?” 
”1 lost it,” yowled Fluffy Cat. 

"Ha! Ha!” shouted Monk-Monk. 

"She lost her Meow, her most useful Meow! 
Where is your fine, fine basket?” 

"I lost it too,” howled Fluffy Cat. 

"Ho! Ho!” laughed Monk-Monk. 

"She lost her Meow, her most useful Meow! 
She lost her fine, fine basket too! 

Where are your three fat soup bones?” 

"I lost them,” yowled Fluffy Cat. 

"My, oh my!” chuckled Monk-Monk. 

"She lost her Meow, her most useful Meow! 


22 






She lost her fine, fine basket! 

She lost her fat soup bones, too! 

Where is your tiny, tiny door key?” 

"I lost it,” yowled Fluffy Cat. 

"Well, well!” giggled Monk-Monk. 
"She lost her fine, fine basket! 

She lost her three fat soup bones! 

She lost her tiny, tiny door key, 

And now she will soon lose HERSELF!” 

As soon as yellow Fluffy Cat 
heard "soon lose herself,” 
she became afraid, yes, quite afraid. 
Her tail became larger and larger. 

Soon she was all tail and no cat. 

Yes, all tail and NO CAT! 


24 



Now she will soon lose herself! 



Then Monk-Monk laughed and laughed, 
and picked up the big fluffy tail. 

He waved it around and around his head 
and sang gleefully, 

"Big tail so fine, 

You’re mine, you’re mine!” 

All Fluffy Cat could do was nothing, 
because she was all tail and no cat 
and had lost her Meow, her most useful Meow. 

Soon Monk-Monk took the big tail 
and ran away with it, far, far away. 

He ran down green lanes and meadows. 

He ran along the wide, deep River 
until he came to the deep, dark Woods. 


26 







Then he shook the tail three times 
and climbed a tall, tall tree. 

He shook the fluffy tail again 
and sang in his loud monkey voice, 

"One, two, three. 

On goes she.” 

Then he tied Fluffy Cat’s tail, 
her own yellow, fluffy tail 
to a high green leafy bough. 

"Ha! Ha!” laughed Monk-Monk 
springing down the tall, tall tree 
and watching the fluttering tail. 

Fluffy Cat was scared, so scared. 

She wanted to say "Meow,” but could not. 
All she could do was to swing, swing 


28 




and say quite softly to herself, 

"I may be all tail, 

But I’m still a real cat.” 

Soon Monk-Monk ran into the Woods. 

"He’s gone!” purred Fluffy Cat. 

However Monk-Monk came back 
carrying a load of big stones. 

These he piled upon the ground. 

"What is Monk-Monk going to do 
with me?” wondered yellow Fluffy Cat. 

Monk-Monk did nothing, no nothing 
but wink at the swinging tail. 

Soon he ran into the deep Woods 
and came back with leaves and sticks. 
These he put among the pile of stones. 


30 



Soon Monk-Monk ran into the woods 


"What is going to happen to me?” 
asked scared Fluffy Cat. 

Monk-Monk did nothing, no, nothing 
but wink at the swinging tail, 
and run into the deep, dark Woods. 

"I hope he never comes back,” 
thought yellow Fluffy Cat. 

However he soon came running back 
with a long stick and a big cook pot. 

"Ho! Ho!” he chuckled, 
pushing the stick into the stones 
and fastening the cook pot to it. 

"Something will soon happen to me,” 
decided yellow Fluffy Cat. 

Monk-Monk did nothing, no, nothing 


32 




but wink at the fluttering tail. 

Next, he lighted a big hot fire. 

Soon the big cook pot was steaming. 

"Now, it’s certainly going 
to happen to me,” shivered Fluffy Cat. 

Monk-Monk did nothing, no, nothing 
but wink at the shaking yellow tail; 
then he began to climb the tall tree. 

Fluffy Cat shook and shook. 

"He’ll soon be here, 

I very much fear,” 
and shivered to herself on the tree. 

Monk-Monk did nothing, no, nothing 
but climb higher and higher 
and take something down from a bough. 


34 



Next he lighted a bright fire 



"Look! Look!” he loudly laughed, 
as he passed Fluffy Cat’s tail. 

There was her fine, fine basket. 

Yes, her own fine basket 
in Monk-Monk’s outstretched hands! 

Fluffy Cat wanted to say, "Meow,” 
but could not because she had lost her Meow. 

When Monk-Monk reached the ground 
he opened Fluffy Cat’s fine basket 
and took out the largest soup bone. 

"M-mm,” he chuckled, as he threw it 
into the steaming cook pot. "M-mm!” 

"Are you hungry, Fluffy Cat’s Tail?” 

Of course. Fluffy Cat said nothing 
because she had lost her most useful Meow 


36 






and was all tail, just fluffy tail. 

Then Monk-Monk ran chattering 
into the deep, dark Woods. 

Soon he came back with a knife. 

"It’s going to happen now,” 
shivered yellow Fluffy Cat, 
watching Monk-Monk busily sharpening 
the big, strong knife on a stone. 

Monk-Monk did nothing, no, nothing 
but wink at the swaying yellow tail 
and run to the tree and cut a long branch. 
Soon he had a long, clean stick 
and was stirring the steaming soup. 

When the soup was cooked and cooked 
Monk-Monk ate it and the soup bone too. 


38 



Monk-Monk ate it and the soup bone, too 





He danced under the tall, tall tree 
and called in his loud monkey voice, 

"Are you hungry, Fluffy Cat’s Tail?” 

Of course Fluffy Cat said nothing. 
Then Monk-Monk laughed and sang, 
"Meow, Meow, Meow, 

Come down from that bough.” 

As soon as Monk-Monk said "meow,” 
Fluffy Cat knew who had come into 
her cozy home and taken her Meow, 
her fine and most useful Meow. 

She turned and twisted and turned. 

She fluttered and flapped and fluttered. 
She swung and shook and swung 
but she could not get down. 


40 



He danced under the tall, tall tree 





This made Monk-Monk laugh and cry, 
"Meow, Meow, Meow,” louder and louder 
until the dark, deep Woods was filled 
with his cries and the hidden echoes. 

"Who has your Meow, Fluffy Cat, 
your fine and most useful Meow?” 

"You have,” answered some one. 

Monk-Monk turned around quickly. 

There was a Kit-Kat Fairy 
with eyes and ears and feet like a cat 
and wings as all Fairies have. 

Yes, there was a real Kit-Kat Fairy! 

And there was Monk-Monk 
looking too surprised to say Meow 
or to wink at Fluffy Cat’s Tail. 


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was a Kit-Kat Fairy 




"I thought you were Fluffy Cat 
crying in the deep, dark Woods. 
Where is she, Monk-Monk?” 

Monk-Monk said nothing. 

Just then Kit-Kat Fairy heard 
a fluffy, soft flutter in the tree. 

She looked low and saw nothing. 
Then she looked high, very high, 
and saw yellow Fluffy Cat’s Tail 
fluttering in the cool breezes. 

As soon as yellow Fluffy Cat 
saw Kit-Kat Fairy under the tree, 
she was no longer afraid, no indeed, 
because each cat large and small 
has a Kit-Kat Fairy to look after her. 


44 



That is why cats have nine lives, 
Kit-Kat Fairies always take 
such good, good care of them. 

Now as soon as Kit-Kat Fairy 
saw Fluffy Cat’s tail on the bough 
she waved her wand seven times 
and sang in her purry, Fairy voice, 
'’Small, small, 

But do not fall.” 

In a flash Fluffy Cat’s Tail 
turned smaller and smaller. 

Soon she had turned into herself. 
Yes, into her Fluffy Cat self again! 
But her tail, her fine yellow tail 
was still tied to the swinging bough. 


46 



Kit-Kat Fairy turned to Monk-Monk 
and ordered in a stern, sharp voice, 

"Give Fluffy Cat’s Meow back to Her!” 
Monk-Monk did nothing, no, nothing 
but wink and wink at Fluffy Cat. 

This made Kit-Kat Fairy angry 
and she tapped Monk-Monk four times 
with her Fairy Wand and said, 

"GIVE IT BACK AT ONCE!” 

Then she cried, "Meow! Meow! 

Meow!” 

three times in a big, yowly voice, 
and Monk-Monk began to worry so much 
he just had to climb up the tall tree 
and give yellow Fluffy Cat her Meow, 
her fine and most useful Meow. 


48 



As soon as he gave it to her, 

Fluffy Cat yowled one wee "Meow.” 

When Fluffy Cat heard 
her own fine and most useful Meow, 
she yowled, "Meow-Meow-Meow-Meow,” 
in her loudest yowly voice 
and tried to get down to Kit-Kat. 

"Untie her,” sternly said Kit-Kat Fairy 
flashing her wand before Monk-Monk. 

As soon as Monk-Monk 
untied Fluffy Cat’s yellow tail, 
she ran down to Kit-Kat Fairy. 

"Meow,” cried happy Fluffy Cat. 
"Thank you! Meow, Meow,” she purred, 
"I am so happy, so very happy!” 


50 



“Meow, meow,” she purred 



"Come down, Monk-Monk,” 
ordered Kit-Kat Fairy, with a sharp voice. 

Monk-Monk laughed and sat still. 

Then Kit-Kat Fairy tapped her wand on the 
tree three times and yowled very fiercely, 

"Meow! Meow! Meow! Meow!” 

The deep, dark Woods were suddenly 
filled with fierce cries of "Meow-Meow.” 

They came from under the bushes and stones, 

from behind dark thick trees, 

from under drooping leaves and ferns. 

"Come down at once,” yowled Kit-Kat. 

Monk-Monk was so worried, so very worried 
he just had to come down at once. 

Kit-Kat Fairy fluttered over to him. 


52 



“Come down at once,” yowled Kit-Kat 


"Monk-Monk,” she laughingly purred, 
"since you are so fond of cat tails 
you shall have all you want— 
big ones and little ones, 
short ones and long ones, 
thin ones and thick ones.” 

Then she waved her wand high, 
then she waved her wand low 
and tapped Monk-Monk on the head. 

As soon as Kit-Kat tapped him 
he tried to run away, far away. 

But Monk-Monk only got as far 

as the deep wide River 

when Kit-Kat Fairy caught him 

by his long brown wriggly Monkey tail. 


54 




) > > 



Monk-Monk tried to dive into the River, 
but Kit-Kat Fairy held on to his tail, 
his long brown wriggly Monkey tail. 

Then Kit-Kat Fairy waved her wand 
and sang with a fierce Kit-Kat voice, 
"Monkey, Monkey, Monk, 

Now you shall see, 

How very, very smart 
Kit-Kat Fairy can be.” 

Then she turned him into a thousand, 
yes, a thousand brown cat tails! 

At the edge of the deep wide River 
some of those cat tails are to be seen 
still standing in the water. 


56 



Of course happy Fluffy Cat 
went home with her Meow, 
her fine and most useful Meow, 
and her fine, fine basket 
with the two fat soup bones in it. 

Of course she was very hungry. 

Yes, she was very, very hungry! 

When she opened her fine, fine basket 
she found her tiny, tiny door key in it; 
so of course she went into her house 
and sat down in her rocking chair 
and ate her two fat soup bones; 
and always lived there quite happily 
with her fine and most useful Meow. 


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So of course she went into her house 






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